Like Cadbury’s Top Deck chocolate, this week’s Destination Wrap comes in two delicious layers, with domestic on the top and international on the bottom.

Northern Territory border reopening date confirmed

The Northern Territory government has committed to reopen the territory’s borders and scrap its self-quarantine requirement from 17 July.

Ahead of that date, Tourism NT has launched a new national campaign, ‘The Territory is the answer’, which will run until October 2020 to entice Australians to start booking travel to the NT.

The campaign will focus on fly-drive and self-drive holidaymakers, highlighting the “freedom and flexibility” of the territory, according to Tourism NT.

In a bid to lure more Territorians to travel domestically, Tourism NT is also matching every dollar spent – up to $200 – on tourism experiences through its ‘Territory Tourism Voucher’.

The funds can be spent in the territory’s Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, and Tennant Creek visitor centres, and on any bookable accommodation, tour, attraction, or car hire.

And in great news for NT events, the Northern Territory Major Events Company has also reconfirmed ‘Parrtjima – A Festival in Light’ will be held over 10 nights from 11 to 20 September in Alice Springs – marking the return of one of Australia’s major arts festivals.

Tahiti Tourisme launches new campaign to inspire tourists to reconnect

Tahiti Tourisme has launched a new recovery campaign, with the help of its global creative agency, Sydney-based Circul8.

Inviting travellers to safely reconnect with their loved ones, and the world, the campaign, ‘Reconnect with the world in The Islands of Tahiti’, invites travellers from across the globe to get back to nature, their core values, their loved ones, and to discover the joys of an ancient culture in Tahiti.

Driven equally by market insights as creativity, Circul8 said the digital campaign feeds into the notion that people are looking for more than just a holiday when travel resumes – they want to feel certain about the world again.

Queensland to charge returning travellers for hotel quarantine

Gold Coast, Queensland (iStock.com/shannonstent)

The Palaszczuk government has flagged that people arriving in Queensland from overseas will be charged fees for quarantining in government arranged accommodation from 1 July 2020.

According to the state government, travellers could now be charged up to $2,800 each for 14 nights of quarantine and meals at compulsory accommodations, with the option to self-quarantine off the table for international arrivals.

For two adults and a child, this could set a family back as much as $4,165, with larger families incurring incrementally larger costs.

It comes after National Cabinet in late May gave the go-ahead for states and territories to start charging international arrivals for quarantining costs.

According to the Queensland government, the fees are proposed to reduce the financial burden of COVID-19 prevention measures on taxpayers.

To date, the Queensland government has spent more than $19 million accommodating international arrivals, and projects that figure to surpass $24 million by 30 June.

In other news, The Courier Mail reported Queensland could reassess its 10 July border reopening date due to an alarming increase in COVID-19 community transmissions in Victoria, with the state’s weekly total of new cases more than tripling to 116.

According to the News Corp outlet, the move has likewise been adopted in South Australia, where the state will reportedly review its border reopening date, of 20 July, due to the COVID-19 situation in Victoria.

Meanwhile, Premier Palaszczuk has announced up to 10,000 spectators will be allowed at Queensland stadiums from Saturday 27 June, in another step to easing COVID-19 restrictions across the state.

Chief health officers advise against travel to Victoria’s COVID-19 hotspots

Australia’s chief health officers have strongly discouraged travel to and from six Victorian areas known to be hotspots for new COVID-19 cases, ABC News reported.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) has advised against travel to and from Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin until control of community transmission has been confirmed.

The committee, which reportedly includes all state chief health officers and is chaired by Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said the advice is based on figures which show more than 83 per cent of new COVID-19 cases in Australia in the past seven days have been recorded in Victoria.

Almost one in five Victorians (18 per cent) live in the six hotspots, according to ABC News.

It comes after Victoria saw a surge in COVID-19 cases, with 19 new cases recorded overnight, marking the state’s fifth day in a row of new coronavirus cases in the double digits.

Greece calls on Australians to holiday on its islands

Santorini, Greece (iStock.com/valentinrussanov)

Greece has called on Australia’s Greek community to holiday there, in a bid to help salvage the nation’s economy, amid forecasts the Mediterranean nation is about to plunge into a severe recession, ABC News reported.

Greece is set to reopen its airports to international traffic, with eased health regulations for those travellers coming countries with low COVID-19 infection numbers, including Australia.

However, the invitation is reportedly yet to sway the Australian government, with all international tourism still banned. One-fifth of Greece’s economy relies on the tourist industry.

Scenic World in the Blue Mountains reopens

Scenic World, Blue Mountains (supplied)

Scenic World in the Blue Mountains is reopening for the July school holidays and welcoming visitors to explore the region’s world heritage-listed landscapes and ancient rainforest, once again, through its unique cable cars, train and elevated boardwalk.

From enjoying the vastness of the Scenic Walkway, which allows you to explore the Jurassic rainforest, to the thrill of riding the world’s steepest railway ride on the Scenic Railway or hopping on the Scenic Cableway, the steepest and largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere and be amazed by the breathtaking views overlooking Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley.

Cambodia “demands” $4,300 coronavirus deposit from arriving travellers

According to the latest Foreign Office bulletin on Cambodia, international travellers will be required to pay a US$3,000 ($4,378) deposit for so-called COVID-19 service charges at the airport upon arrival.

This deposit can be paid in cash or by credit card, with the remainder of the deposit returned once deductions for services have been made.

Disney to reopen California theme parks 17 July

Disney has announced plans to reopen its Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks on 17 July, the same day the original park opened in 1955.

As it has done around the world, the company is planning a phased ramp-up of operations with the Downtown Disney District shopping and dining complex starting coming online 9 July and certain park hotels opening their doors 23 July.

All the plans are subject to state and local government approvals, Disney said. However, if the company gets the green light, its California and Florida parks will reopen within days of one another, giving Disney a chance to salvage the nation’s busy summer season.

Tourism Fiji launches ‘Happy Hour TV’

Tourism Fiji has debuted  ‘Happy Hour TV,’ a YouTube series that shines light on the positive news stories emerging from Fiji during the coronavirus pandemic.

Light-hearted and full of energy, local presenters Masada and Eroni will share feel-good stories from across Fiji’s 333 islands as they talk to fellow Fijians about the power of sharing kindness and showing resilience during a crisis.

Airing fortnightly on Tourism Fiji’s YouTube Channel, ‘Happy Hour TV’ will be available for international travellers and locals alike to tune in every other week for an extra dose of Fiji happiness.

Monaco reopens its doors

After two months of lockdown, health prevention policies implemented by the authorities of the Principality of Monaco have allowed a gradual recovery of economic and touristic activities.

Step by step, many sectors are reviving their activities in close cooperation with professional and economic actors and in strict compliance with the safety measures against the pandemic.

Since 2 June 2020, museums, bars and restaurants have started to reopen, a few days after the shops and joining a vast recovery movement.

Today, hotels of Monaco are mobilized towards one objective:  welcoming customers in the best conditions, with high standard of health protection, according the following schedule:

• Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo: Open
• Hotel Fairmont Monte-Carlo: Open
• Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort: Open
• Hotel de France: Open
• Hotel Ambassador: Open
• Hotel Novotel Monte-Carlo: Open
• Hotel Columbus Monte-Carlo: 15 June 2020
• Port Palace: 16 June 2020
• Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo: 19 June 2020
• Hotel Meridien Beach Plaza: 26 June 2020
• Hotel Monte-Carlo Beach: 3 July 2020 (date to be confirmed)
• Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo: 8 July 2020 (date to be confirmed).

Abu Dhabi sets guidelines for cultural sites to reopen

The National Aquarium, Al Qana (supplied)

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has issued strict health and safety guidelines and precautionary measures in preparation for the reopening of a number of museums and cultural sites in the emirate.

The openings form part of plans to help communities and visitors recover from the strain of the prolonged period of lockdown which was imposed in the last few months.

The guidelines, which require each site to operate at only 40 per cent visitor capacity to begin with, will help all cultural sites to follow the requirements that will support the visitor experience across the cultural site spaces, including social distancing rules, crowd control measures and regulations for employees and visitors in order to reopen safely.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s most exciting upcoming destination, Al Qana, is on track for construction completion by the end of fourth-quarter 2020.

Developed by Al Barakah International Investment, the UAE’s ultimate social dining, entertainment and wellness space is being built at pace for citizens, residents and visitors to Abu Dhabi to enjoy.

Featured image: Supplied by Northern Territory government